zau2 faat3 leot6 laa3走法律罅
Jyutpingzau2 faat3 leot6 laa3
Yalejáu faat leuht la
Definition
To exploit a legal loophole.
colloquialworkother
How it's used
The term carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that the person is being cunning or morally questionable even if they are technically staying within the letter of the law. It is frequently used in discussions about business practices, tax avoidance, or bureaucratic procedures where someone finds a way to bypass rules without technically breaking them. The word 罅 refers specifically to a crack or a gap, painting a vivid picture of someone squeezing through a tiny opening in a rigid system.
Examples
He is always thinking about exploiting legal loopholes; he will get into trouble sooner or later.
Are you sure there is really no problem with you exploiting the legal loophole like that?
Related words
Common phrases
specializing in exploiting legal loopholes
likes to exploit legal loopholes
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with simply breaking the law, but the core of the phrase is that the action is technically permitted or at least not explicitly forbidden by the current legal framework.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
